Last updated · General information, not legal advice
Understanding shoulder injury
Shoulder injuries from bracing against the wheel, a seatbelt, or a side impact range from a soft tissue strain to a rotator cuff or labral tear. This is one of the clearer-cut distinctions in the CTP threshold rules: a strain is generally a threshold injury, but a full or partial tendon, ligament or cartilage tear is specifically excluded from the threshold definition, meaning it's generally treated as a non-threshold injury. An MRI is often what settles which category your shoulder injury falls into.
Common symptoms
Symptoms can take hours or days to appear after a crash. Getting them assessed and documented early matters for your recovery — and for your claim.
- Shoulder pain, particularly with overhead movement
- Weakness or reduced range of motion
- Clicking, catching or instability in the joint
- Pain radiating down the arm
- Swelling or bruising
Free claim check
Not sure where this leaves your claim?
How we help
A free claim check can explain why the strain-versus-tear distinction matters so much for a shoulder claim, and whether imaging would help clarify your diagnosis. If imaging shows a tear, or the insurer is disputing your classification, we'll connect you with an independent lawyer who can help make sure that evidence is properly used in your claim.
Getting the right treatment
A doctor experienced with CTP claims can arrange the right imaging, confirm whether you're dealing with a strain or a tear, and complete your Certificate of Fitness. Physiotherapy — including shoulder-specific rehabilitation — is the usual allied health treatment, whether or not surgery is involved. See doctors and allied health for CTP claims for help finding the right providers.
Doctors & allied health for CTP claims
Doctors & allied health
Need a doctor who understands CTP claims?
Your claim runs on medical evidence, so the doctor you see matters. If treatment is what you need, we can refer you to a doctor or allied health provider experienced with CTP claims.
- A doctor experienced with CTP claims — for diagnosis, a treatment plan and your Certificate of Fitness, which records your injuries and your capacity for work.
- Allied health such as physiotherapy, psychology and exercise physiology, for the treatment your injuries need.
- Free, with no obligation. We'll tell you if a provider we refer you to is connected with us, and you can always choose your own.
The CTP insurer generally pays for treatment that is reasonable and necessary for your accident injuries. It decides what's approved, and its decisions can be reviewed.
What matters for your claim
- 1Push for imaging (ultrasound or MRI) if a tear is suspected — this is often the deciding evidence
- 2Get a clear diagnosis distinguishing a strain from a tear in your medical records
- 3Keep records of functional impact — reaching, lifting, and overhead work
- 4If surgery is recommended, keep the surgeon's report — it usually documents the diagnosis in detail
- 5A whole person impairment assessment is relevant where the injury is non-threshold and ongoing
Getting the right evidence
If shoulder pain persists beyond a couple of weeks, or you notice weakness, instability or reduced movement, ask your doctor about imaging — a clear diagnosis matters as much for your claim as for your treatment plan.
This is general information, not medical or legal advice. If symptoms are severe or worsening, seek medical care straight away — call 000 in an emergency.
